Shattered
by seinooo.kcvii
Summary: ...is where everything goes wrong. ReTi oneshot for The Sacred and Profane. xDD


Disclaimer said by Elly: "kcvii is the … eto … mooglefan who owns nothing in here. Not even me. Yay! I shall start. :3" *hops off the swivel chair*

For The Sacred and Profane, **Shattered**.

* * *

An eerie feminine whisper echoed throughout the hall:

"Run, Elly, Run. Run as fast as you can.

Run so that I won't catch you. Run fast."

And run she did. In the maze. She ran from the slow rotting hunters and she ran from the shadow who told her to run for no apparent reason. Elly was a mess of hiccups and sobs, clutching her stuffed chocobo, as usual the word "Elly's" on it. She stumbled upon craggy hands reaching up to her from the low shadows, threatening to tear her apart. Still she continued to run, treading on crumbly fingers and they cracked, kicking arms away in the process that those creatures groaned out in pain. Soon, she reached a dead end. She was alone by now, with no one to protect her. After blindly running around, she couldn't find her parents anywhere.

"Papa… Mama… Where are you?" she murmured close to her chocobo. "I'm scared… Zombies," she sobbed, "… They are going to eat Elly and chicobo. Hic."

The raspy moaning just kept increasing and the maggot infested entities thudded their wrinkled feet softly. More hands weakly flailed, hardly seen in the darkness.

_Clack, clack, clack_. Shoes. _Someone_ was obviously amongst them, maybe the owner of the shadow.

"No use hiding. No use running. I can see you. Come out, _little girl_. Come out and play. Come, Elly, come," she sang.

Elly inched backward from her spot until her back touched the cold, hard, wall. All she could think was regret, regret, regret—of coming there. Long fingers curled on her left shoulder and she rapidly turned to it and her sharp shriek pierced the air.

Thud. Chicobo fell headlong in an awkward way to the floor.

- - -

"Reno, that's Elly," Tifa moaned struggled up from her seat and yanked Reno up as she did.

"Tiiifuuuh … I feel woozy … Mother effin' cup. Whose idea is it to make a cup that spins?" His shoe got stuck at the door and he fell, leaving Tifa holding his jacket. "Damn shoe," he muttered. Tifa sighed as she collected him, hauling his arm over her shoulders.

"Just make sure you don't barf on me," she warned and they began walking to the huge tent, just at the middle. Reno managed a laugh.

"I might," he said.

Tifa couldn't blame him. Everything was so wrong there. The cup actually started spinning by itself as soon as they sat in it. The merry-go-round's chocobos were absolute nuts and had the tendency to fly off. And that ferris wheel they played? It seemed to enjoy changing the speed and direction of rotation by itself. The tunnel of love should be named as the tunnel of fears. She hated spiders and all she could see in there was spiders, hanging from the ceiling. Now all they need was to get Elly and get the hell out of there and everything would be fine and dandy. They would just forget about being there and…

"Tifa, I can walk," Reno said, clearing his throat. "You can stop glaring now."

"Am I?" Tifa relaxed her muscles and let him go. "…I'm just worried about Elly."

"Hey, it wasn't me," Reno protested. Tifa smirked at him, crossing her arms.

"I'll eat my fist if it is true."

"Argh. Alright, it's my fault. I shouldn't have left her alone." Reno didn't know which 'left her alone' he actually meant but he had a good guess—the beginning of it all.

- - -

That morning…

"Papa, where are you going?" Elly looked at him from her still swing, kicking back and forth, trying to touch the ground without having to jump off.

"I'll be back, sweetie. Papa's friend is over there. Don't go anywhere." Elly made a sniffling sound, an attempt to make Reno change his mind.

"…Okay," she said finally. Reno ruffled her hair and went off with Rude. A woman approached Elly from behind, smiling as her light brown locks swayed side to side. Elly tilted her head upwards, meeting her gaze with pale green ones.

"Hello, little girl," she greeted melodiously. The automatic response Elly gave her was a "Hello." And a smile, that which resembled of her mother's.

Ten minutes later, Tifa came to her daughter's swing, finding it to be empty. "Elly?" she called. Where is she? Where is Reno? She looked around, worried. No one was there.

Elly's silvery voice rang in response and light pattering feet ran towards her and Elly lodged herself in her mother's arms. "Mama! Look what I found!" she laughed gleefully. She twirled around a small unnamed red flower in her hand, fresh as the spring rain and vibrant as her hair. Tifa sighed in relief.

"That's beautiful, Elly," she complimented. Now to find another certain redheaded _baby_ who _could_ be lost wandering around… And he muttered a low oath under his breath from behind.

"Look who's a long way from Elly," Tifa scolded Reno, who apologized tons of time.

"Ready girls?" he asked.

"Yeah!"

- - -

Their day in the park was really enjoyable. There were ice-creams, cotton candies, games and rides, and also prizes. Reno won a stuffed chocobo for Elly, and Tifa got moogle keychains for all of them. Tifa had once again, left Elly in the care of Reno to get some more tickets. One thing that caught Elly's attention was of course, the petting zoo.

"Papa, what's that? Lots of chicobos there." Reno turned his head to it and grinned.

"You want to go there?"

"Yus!" They headed nearer and Reno grimaced. Not only chocobos were there but a Tonberry, too. Whoever had it there must be awfully strong enough to tame it. "Papa, what's that green cucumber?"

"That is a Tonberry." Elly's eyes lighted up hearing that.

"Like the Tonberry cupcakes mama made for us?"

"No, those are blueberries. This thing with that knife is a Tonberr—" Elly hushed him and pointed out.

"Papa, look! It has a tail. It's a cucumber _fish_," she whispered.

Reno laughed despite the murderous vibe the Tonberry seemed to give off and the still stare it fixed on them both. _She's really clever indeed._ _Must be in my genes. Heh._

"Can I touch it?" she asked.

_Can she touch it? It's only a Tonberry. And Tonberries give instant death if you're not careful. Argh! Here's the deal. She pats it, okay. It raises its chopping knife, break the rules and kill that … cucumber… at will. Yeah, I'll do that—Eh?_

"Elly?" he called. _Damn, Tifa's going to have my ponytail for this!_ She had wriggled free from his hand while he was debating alone. "Reno, I'm back," Tifa said. She was still not aware of— "Where's Elly?" Oh, she noticed. Not good.

He spotted a small darting red amongst the crowd; Elly. "There."

She was weaving and squeezing her way to the … Tonberry, staring up at it in wonder. It shuffled slowly to her and indeed, raised its knife—and tripped on a rock and fell flat on its front. The knife flew past her head, slicing off the flower on her hair which she obtained from a 'flowery aunt'. It fell down and shattered like a fragile glass. At once everything twisted and melted before those three and darkness engulfed them.

When they came to, they were in a different realm altogether. The sky was an ominous brick-red and the swirling clouds were weirdly lemon-colored. They were still in the same carnival but deserted. No children running around, no keepers, no… no one. Everything was quiet.

"What. Is. This?" Tifa managed to breathe through gritting teeth. She was clearly not pleased. "Elly, come he—"

Before she could finish her sentence, an army of moogles ran to Elly's shocked form and carried her away to a direction and she screamed only seconds afterward. Both Tifa and Reno were rendered speechless.

"Did you see that Reno?" Tifa said after a long pause. She turned to him, smiling a deathly sweet smile.

"Uhuh," he gulped, not wanting to know what she would do (or say) best next. Explode.

"Those insane moogles just kidnapped my daughter! And where the hell are we?" she yelled. Reno winced at her volume. She can outrival Yuffie.

"Good question." Tifa glared at him, hissing her breaths.

"I'm not in the mood for jokes, Reno."

"Sure you're not. Teeheeheeheeheeeeee," a female voice screeched from the speakers nearby, followed by static. "Teeheeheeheeheeeeeh," it repeated.

"What the Eff…" Reno muttered. Tifa snapped a pole into two and lunged it to a speaker, leaving it hissing and buzzing.

"Goddamn you! Return Elly!" she seethed.

"Oh, I will. She is now currently somewhere. Either I get her, or you both. The winner gets Elly and can get out of here. Tee hee. We will begin now," the speaker boomed and confetti flew all around them. "She could be anywhere and take your time enjoying the rides."

Tifa slumped onto the ground, slapping her face once. "I'm not dreaming. It's the flower. I saw it. It has to be the flower. Flowers don't shatter like that. When I get home, I'll burn every red flower, I swear. Damn flowers…" she muttered. Reno bent down and pulled her up as he rubbed her cheek gently. He didn't like to see her so broken, so defeated…by a flower.

"Teef, babe. Pull yourself together. I'm sure we'll get out of here."

"With Elly," she mumbled.

"Yeah, with Elly." Tifa sighed in his arms, finding renewed strength in her after he said that.

"I, no. We'll win this. When this is over, I'll make sure you learn not to leave Elly alone anymore."

He needn't be told that now. "Alright. Let's scour all the rides here." He took her hand and they both walked to a ride where kids around Elly's age would play; the merry-go-round.

- - -

"Tifa?" Reno waved his hand in front of her face. Tifa snapped back to reality—or nightmare, not that it really mattered—from her small daydream.

"Oh, yeah?"

"We're here. The biggest tent of all." Both of them looked at it, from high to low.

"… Finally." Tifa's voice quaked slightly. Reno couldn't guess what she was feeling. Nervous? Fear? Probably neither of those. Tifa pulled her gloves she had always brought around.

"Uh. Teef?"

"Don't. Ask. Mother instinct." Tifa found a pillar and thrashed it hard. It snapped and she pulled it outward, taking off the tent. Apparently, she was still fuming inside, taking it all out on the wood. Reno whistled in amazement.

"You look damn hot."

"Reno, Reno, Reno. Who are you and how long have we been together?" Reno chuckled silently.

"Still, this is something."

"I always keep my body in shape. Besides, I have to be extremely skillful with my hands." Reno raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Fists, I mean," she corrected.

"Aww. I like the former better."

"You'll get a fist for dinner if you don't behave. So, this… is a maze, right?" Tifa knocked at the wall. It was made of wood and some wires sticking out. "Care to join?" Tifa motioned her head to the wall.

"My pleasure."

- - -

"Don't eat Elly and chicobo. Please. I promise I'll beha—behe…" Elly hugged her chicobo and looked at the person who had held her shoulder. It's the 'flower aunt' who was still clad in pink.

"Behave," she corrected. "I don't eat girls."

"B-but Zombies…"

"They're gone now. So, do you want to play with aunty Aerith now?" Elly sniffled and nodded unsurely. No sooner she did that, the wall from their behind crashed.

"Oh my," Aerith said, raising a hand to her mouth when she saw who those intruders were.

"…Aerith?" Tifa huffed.

"Papa! Mama!" Elly ran instantly to her parents.

"Hey there, Elly," Reno greeted as he carried her up.

"Papa, there are zombies! Chicobo said he's scared and…" Elly began chattering to him excitedly about all she had encountered.

"Aheh. Hey Tifa."

"All these are your doing, hm?"

"Guilty as charged. I just wanted to play with Elly. She's so cute."

"Aerith," Tifa sighed.

"I know, I know. I won't try to abduct her anymore. I'm sorry."

"You can just ask, you know that? I'm sure Zack wouldn't mind."

"Really, I can? Oh, and he doesn't, really."

"Can you just send us back, please?"

"Okay!"

- - -

The family arrived at the outskirts of their previous carnival uneventfully, to their delight. It was already late evening.

"What did you learn today?" Tifa raked her hair with one of her aching hands.

"Not to talk to strangers. They give flowers that make you go to where zombies are," Elly replied cheerfully. "And don't pat the Tonberry."

"And you, Reno?"

"Not to leave Elly alone. But Tifa, I didn't actually leave her alone during the—"

Tifa sighed and rested her head onto Reno's shoulder. "I'm tired. Carry me home."

"Heeeh. What did _you_ learn today?"

"…anger. It brings out the monster inside me…" she murmured.

"Kay. Good girl." Reno carried her on his back, grinning. Elly joined in, laughing.

"Papa I carry chicobo too!"

- - -

"Morning, sweetheart," Tifa greeted Elly at the doorway.

"Good morning, mama… I want a Tonberry cupcake…"

"Okay—" Poof! Elly vanished and a piece of paper fluttered down.

"_Tifa, can I please, please, please borrow Elly? :)_

_-Hearts, Aerith_."

"Aeriiith!" she screamed and scrunched the paper up, which never woke Reno from his slumber. He was too tired.

Tifa Lockhart clearly did not learn her lesson the day before.

* * *

a/n: Whoaa~ Epic rotfl. Sorry it took so long (and it's totally different that what I had plotted). I checked… o.o and (HAHA) I discovered I have typos every 3 lines so (I might have missed some). Lol, the things people would do to make kids play with them… Ja, oyasumi. -.-


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